Innkeeper's Pie — The Softer Food I Made When Words Were Not Enough

December. The first snow of the month fell Tuesday — two inches, nothing to write home about, but the kind that sticks around until the next one. I drove Monday and Wednesday. Cold runs. The cab thermometer read 11 Wednesday morning in the yard. I wore my heaviest gloves. My hands were fine. My knees talked.

Tree went up Saturday. Dave dragged it in. Tyler helped. Justin was at a conditioning workout. Josie and I decorated. We did not put the angel on the top because Amber has a tradition — she has always been the one who puts the angel on the top. We left the top empty and a ladder nearby. She came home Saturday night. She climbed the ladder. She put the angel on. Everyone clapped. Tradition is small things you do on purpose.

Cookbook hit 330,000 copies sold. Sarah emailed a note: "Brenda. We are officially a bestseller." I already knew that. I had seen the list in the paper weeks ago. Sarah wanted to say it formally. I said thank you formally. I went to the kitchen and baked bread.

Gayle had her checkup Thursday. The doctor — the same "integrative" one Gayle has grown to trust — said Gayle's heart sounds are slightly weaker than they were in the spring. Not dangerous. Not immediate. Something to watch. She adjusted a medication. She said, "Mrs. Novak. You are 79 and you are doing okay. You are not doing great." Gayle said, "I know." Gayle told me this Thursday night in her kitchen. She said, "Brenda. My heart is quieter." I said, "Ma. I know." We did not say anything else. She ate dinner with us Friday and Saturday and Sunday. I cooked softer food for her. A chicken soup, a custard, a tender pot roast. She ate slower. She ate. I am watching. I am going to be watching for a long time now. Dave knows. Dave is watching too. We do not need to discuss it often. We are already doing the work.

After Thursday night in my mother’s kitchen — after she told me her heart was quieter and we sat with that together without needing to fill the silence — I came home and thought about what I could make that would feel like an arm around a shoulder. Innkeeper’s Pie is that dish for me: deep and savory and forgiving, the kind of thing that fills a plate and a room at the same time. I made it for Gayle that Friday, and she ate it slowly, and that was enough.

Innkeeper’s Pie

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 45 min | Total Time: 1 hr 5 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
• 3 stalks celery, sliced
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 sheet refrigerated pie crust (or homemade)
• 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven. Heat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan or a 2-quart baking dish and set aside.
2. Cook the chicken. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper, then cook 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
3. Soften the vegetables. In the same skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Cook 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and onion is translucent. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
4. Build the filling. Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and stir to coat. Slowly pour in chicken broth and milk, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Add thyme and rosemary. Simmer 4–5 minutes, stirring, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
5. Combine and transfer. Stir in the cooked chicken and frozen peas. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Pour the filling into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly.
6. Top with crust. Lay the pie crust over the filling. Trim any overhang to about 1/2 inch and crimp or fold the edges to seal. Cut 3–4 small slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape. Brush evenly with the beaten egg.
7. Bake. Place on the center rack and bake 35–40 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown and the filling is bubbling at the edges. If the crust edges brown too quickly, tent loosely with foil.
8. Rest and serve. Let the pie rest 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm, straight from the dish.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 420 | Protein: 31g | Fat: 19g | Carbs: 33g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 480mg